Picture Link: 2009 Bootleg Penalty Shootout Picutes

 

Dunsborough Towners newcomer Ben Powle was the surprise winner of the Dunsborough pre-season penalty shootout competition before a big festive crowd of locals and tourists at the Bootleg Brewery last Saturday.

The shootout featured two of WA’s great goalkeepers in former Socceroo Tony Franken and Tommy Maras who played many times for WA and Perth Glory.

Franken, who rushed back from Japan where he was the goalkeeper coach for the Socceroos in their World Cup campaign, was full of praise for the competition and the Dunsborough area.

“I’ve been to many places in the World and there are not many better than down here in this region of the South West,” said Franken

 

“I was fortunate to stay at the Bunker Bay Resort on the doorstep of one of the best beaches I have seen”.

The club plans to run the shootout competition as a regular lead-up to the football season in future years and will invite all clubs in the South West Association to participate.

“If we can get a positive response from clubs we will provide meaningful prize money with a perpetual trophy for the winners,” said Towners president Tony plumb after the shootout last week.

A bonus for the Towners was the goalkeeping coaching session put on by Franken that attracted 15 young goalkeepers from Bunbury to Margaret River.

“I was impressed with a number of the youngsters who have potential to go a long way if they put in the hard work to make it to the top,” said Franken.

He was also impressed with the quality of the finalists in the penalty shootout commenting that penalties are not as easy to convert as pundits would have you believe, especially when the pressure is on.

Busselton got into the spirit of the contest with seven players competing, including a surprise attendance of Robbie Seia to defend the title he won in the inaugural shootout two years ago. On this occasion he failed to progress from the first round but his brother Michael made it to the final.

Balingup President Steve Hawkins, who was recently appointed as the Director of Zone 10 in the national planning for the code by Football Australia, put on his boots.

In the end it was a battle between two Towners with Powle beating youngster Sebastian Kovacs with his last shot.

The women opened the day with The Towners “Master Blaster” Emma Olsen winning in the first round as the only competitor to score from her first three attempts.

The Public were invited to take one shot with a Bootleg tee shirt as a prize for all those who beat the goalkeeper with Nathan Breeder the only one to succeed..